Yoga in Turkey: The yin and the yang of Lycian life

Suleyman’s Garden. The clue was in the name, I suppose. But even so, on the day of my arrival at this new yoga retreat on the Lycian coast in southern Turkey, I found myself marvelling at the glorious fecundity of the place. Everywhere I looked there were things growing. The pathway from my tiny traditional stone cottage to the main terrace where meals were served wound through land planted with green peppers, tomatoes, aubergines, potatoes and squash, all cheek by jowl, and trees groaning with plums, cherries, peaches, figs and pomegranates (the last three tantalisingly far from ripe).

I had known that this was going to be a special place, run as it is by Jane and Ian Worrall, the brother-and-sister team behind the much-loved Turkish yoga retreat Huzur Vadisi, which has been attracting British yogis for two decades. There are, of course, similarities between the two establishments – most notably, the high calibre of the visiting teachers , but also the fabulous vegetarian food – and for the first couple of days my loyalties remained with the mountainous yurt-living of the older retreat. But that was to change. For Suleyman’s not only has its garden, but also its coastline.

Ten minutes’ walk down a steep and dusty wooded slope were the dazzlingly blue Mediterranean waters of the Lycian coast. Here was some of the most beautiful sea I had ever seen, fringed with big sunbather-friendly slabs of white rock, Mediterranean pines, and little else. And so it went on for miles and miles, interrupted only by the occasional beach, a combination of white sand and pebbles.

This area of Turkey has been accessible by road for only the past 20 years and is so unspoilt it makes you wonder if you travelled here by time machine rather than charter flight. Due to the impenetrable rock formations of the Yediburunlar – literally “seven headlands” – the road runs out 10 minutes’ drive beyond Suleyman’s, at Kabak beach, where there are a few of the impromptu beach cottages more usually found in places such as Thailand.

One of the wooden cabins at Suleyman’s Garden

And who were we sharing this paradise with? A few savvy – and affluent – Turks, some German ramblers, and the occasional rather chic 21st-century hippie. I kept pinching myself over the area’s raw beauty, and that was even before we went on a day’s boat trip and found ourselves swimming in the shadow of a ruined Byzantine city accessible only by boat, where jets of icy spring water occasionally spurted up from the sea bed, catching us spine-tinglingly unawares. It felt like the Europe of the Sixties.

Our morning yoga practice, from 8am to 11am, was “yang” or dynamic in nature. Afternoon sessions – 5pm to 7.30pm – were “yin” or restorative. Our teacher for the week was Simon Low, whom I had encountered on two earlier yoga retreats and was eager to practice with again.

Part of Low’s brilliance – and that of “yin” yoga in general – is that each day you feel more rested, as well as stronger and fitter, and entirely avoid the fourth or fifth-day slump that can punctuate a typical week-long yoga holiday. (And this was not as a result of taking it easy: the morning sessions were challenging, and my fitness level was increasing to such a degree that my post-afternoon-swim meander back up the hill was transforming itself into something of a sprint.)

Another point of difference with Low is how his intricate anatomical knowledge informs the way he teaches, which transforms the way you practice . Low taught us, for example, the mirroring relationship between the jaw and the hip joints, and how tightness in the former equates with stiffness in the latter; by teaching us how to loosen our jaws, we unlocked our hips. With every position, he instructed us how best to tailor it for the idiosyncrasies of our respective bodies.

For similar reasons, a number of the classic yoga poses are taught somewhat unconventionally by Low. Downward dog, for example – the inverted triangle position, your hands and feet on the floor – should not be about pushing your heels towards the floor, as most teachers insist, but raising your heels. This allows your thigh bones to move up and back, thus deepening the stretch in the back and shoulders, and opening your upper body to a new degree. The upper body is a focus for much of Low’s work, a response, he says, to the impact of computer work on his clients’ bodies. I can certainly vouch for the fact that, at my second massage of the week with Tatiana (a fabulous German masseuse), my upper body had been transformed.

Low’s attendees usually take their yoga pretty seriously. This is not to say that he isn’t great at dealing with beginners, and that there isn’t a place for fun and laughter. What it does mean is that, if you are a regular practitioner, you will have the opportunity to move forward dramatically in your practice.

Dining alfresco at restaurants in Fethiye old town

As every yogi knows, yoga is as much about breath as postures. There was a game-changer session for many of us that week, when Low introduced us to the idea of “figure of eight” breathing. Throwing in a bit of evolutionary theory, Low reminded us that we humans started off as fish, “breathing” not air but water, and that we still begin our lives in the watery environs of the womb . Low had us visualising each breath winding its way within our torso, passing through our belly button on its way in and again on its way out. Peculiar as that sounds – and, yes, I am fully aware that it does! – a large number of the group, myself included, felt their practice was profoundly and permanently changed.

Low’s popularity with students isn’t just down to his yoga. He is also someone who teaches only at the loveliest places, and who enjoys eating well. Meals at Suleyman’s are wonderful. When the chef isn’t in the kitchen he is out picking produce in the garden (90 per cent of what you eat comes from their own land). Often in mid-afternoon there would be a little pile of something ripening on a table in the sun, which would then be mouthwateringly transformed for dinner. The breakfasts are a particular highlight, including the superlative local honey and tahini, the memory of which has long made regulars at Huzur Vadisi swoon.

Suleyman’s Garden is a simple place, its rooms small and basic, its mod cons neither very mod nor very con, its swimming pool minute – but who needs a pool when you have the Mediterranean? It is a special place, somewhere to which I suspect you will want to return again and again. I know I do.

Did you know?

In yin yoga, you take only five breaths a minute – which stimulates neuroplasticity.

Essentials

Getting there

Several airlines fly from Gatwick and other UK airports to Dalaman, including easyJet (easyjet.com), Thomas Cook (flythomascook.com) and Monarch (monarch.co.uk). Prices start at £35 one way. The airport transfer takes one and a half hours and can be arranged by Suleyman’s Garden for £20-£50 per person each way, depending on the number of people sharing.

Yoga retreats

Suleyman’s Garden (huzurvadisi.com) hosts yoga retreats with a wide range of teachers from April to October, with up to 16 students on each course. This year Simon Low is teaching the weeks of June 30 and September 8 (plus June 16, June 23, August 18 and August 25 at the sister retreat, Huzur Vadisi). A week’s full board costs £795, including tuition but not transport.

What to bring

Unlike many yoga retreats, Suleyman’s has plenty of mats and props . The rooms are small, and most of them shared – this is not a place for the anti-social – so an eye mask and earplugs are a good idea, and nightwear is essential. (If you have the option, ask to stay in one of the pretty traditional stone houses, rather than one of the modern wooden ones.) One morning there is an optional walk along the Lycian Way, so pack some good walking shoes or sturdy trainers if you are planning to do this. A top-notch masseuse comes to Suleyman’s on the same weeks as Low (her trigger-point therapy is extraordinary), so bring cash (sterling, euros or Turkish lira) to pay her.

Paragliding off 6,500ft Mount Babadag

How to prepare

If you have never done yoga before, don’t worry: Low is good at teaching any number of different levels at once. However, if you want to prepare, you could buy his Yin and Yang Yoga DVD (simonlow.com). Many people arrive in Turkey a few days early in order to be fully rested before the yoga practice starts. The two smartest places to stay, both right on the sea, are Hotel Nautical (hotelnautical.com, doubles from £180) and the Zakros (zakrosboutique.com, doubles from £210). A simpler option is the Olive Garden in Kabak (olivegardenkabak.com, doubles from £58).

Make sure to guard against dehydration. Summer in Turkey is very hot, and even the gentlest of exercise has a heightened impact on your body. Be sure to drink plenty of water before and after your yoga practice, and even take a few sips during it (something not normally recommended by yoga teachers). That said, mornings and evenings can be cool: you should bring a warm cover-up for the first daily practice and for supper on the terrace, plus a light cotton wrap or two. Another tip is a cotton dressing gown to get you from your room to the showers and back in suitable modesty, plus a torch (ideally a head torch to keep your hands free).

Local beaches

It is hard to drag yourself away from Suleyman’s Garden but there is a largely undeveloped local beach 10 minutes’ taxi ride away at Kabak. Or you can walk there in about an hour along the stunning Lycian Way, and reward yourself with a swim and a freshly squeezed juice at the end. Ten minutes’ drive in the other direction takes you to Ölüdeniz, arguably Turkey’s best-known beach (and much more developed as a result).

The glorious blue waters of Ölüdeniz Bay, 10 minutes by car from the retreat

Local attractions

The brave can head to Fethiye, a 40-minute drive away, to try the Turkish baths. This is also the place to go shopping, with a wide range of shops selling pretty jewellery, rugs and knick-knacks. The braver still can paraglide (strapped to a local sportif) from the 6,500ft Mount Babadag behind Ölüdeniz. Suleyman’s Garden can also arrange day trips to the ancient Lycian sites of Tlos and Pinara.